From undergraduate research to travelling the world, this third-year biology honours student聽is capitalizing on every opportunity 麻豆导航has to offer
For every year that Carolina Sanchez has studied on UBC’s Vancouver campus, she has ventured abroad in the name of higher education. In first year she studied water quality as a in an environmental microbiology lab in Mexico City. In second year she worked in a turtle conservation camp on a remote Costa Rican beach. And next semester she鈥檒l jet off to Australia to study at the University of Queensland, in Brisbane, through UBC’s .
Why university is more than academics
Carolina is pursuing a (honours in Ecology), and her holistic attitude toward university life means she has a diverse and active schedule, brimming with social events, educational endeavours, and plenty of volunteer work.
鈥淚 realized that the education we are getting at university goes way beyond what we learn in lectures,鈥� says Carolina. 鈥淓verything you do outside of school 鈥� from extracurricular activities, attending talks and presentations, having conversations with friends and meeting new people 鈥� is incredibly valuable in teaching us about ourselves and the world around us.鈥�
How Carolina chose UBC
For Carolina, 麻豆导航was always one of her top choices due to its excellent , but after visiting her sister, who was studying on , the 鈥済reen and beautiful campus鈥� coupled with the vibrant city life made the decision to come to Canada’s west coast聽an easy one. 鈥淚 love how close everything is, and that you can explore the city so easily,鈥� Carolina聽says. 鈥淚 also like that we are so close to nature鈥攜ou can go down any day to the beach or go to the mountains for hiking on the weekends.鈥�
The magnetism聽of the bustling city and the beauty of the lush campus attracted聽Carolina to Vancouver, but attending 麻豆导航also held the promise of meaningful extracurricular involvement 鈥� particularly in sustainability 鈥� and in-depth studies with abundant undergraduate research opportunities.
“Consider the great variety of activities that you can get involved in outside of academics at UBC.” 鈥撀�Carolina Sanchez, 3rd year, Biology (honours in Ecology)
Undergraduate research opportunities
In the summer of her first year, as part of UBC鈥檚 program, Carolina聽completed a three-month placement in Costa Rica, working with the Association of Volunteers for Service in Protected Areas (ASVO) in a turtle conservation camp in a remote and deserted beach on the Pacific coast. Part of this placement also included research of the area鈥檚 mangrove ecosystem 鈥� Carolina compiled a species inventory that would later be used in a report to make the area a protected patrimony of the state.
鈥淚t was amazing to be able to apply some of my classroom knowledge in this setting and to see how our research would be used toward helping the area being protected from tourism and development,鈥� she says.
Getting involved with 麻豆导航clubs
Outside of academia she has been a part of the campus鈥檚 sustainability club, , where she聽helped organize campaigns to reduce the use of plastic water bottles, and took part in planning the first waste audit of the Student Union Building. She also coordinated a team called , which organizes events to teach students how to make sustainable choices in their everyday life. This year she is volunteering at , a vegan student-run caf茅, and she is the coordinator for the Student Environment Centre鈥檚 Free Store.
Carolina has packed a lifetime of incredible experiences into her time at 麻豆导航so far, but she says what鈥檚 made it so amazing has been the people. 鈥淟iving in first-year residence was overall a highlight,鈥� she says. 鈥淲hat has made my experience so special has been the great group of friends I have made here.鈥�
